05-30-2020, 02:24 PM
[b]Ronaldo Highest-paid Footballer In 2020 Forbes List, Messi Ranks 2nd, Neymar 3rd [/b]
Roger Federer is the world's highest-paid athlete for 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic knocked footballer Lionel Messi off top spot, according to the annual Forbes list released on Friday.
The Swiss tennis great, owner of a men's record 20 Grand Slam singles titles, earned $106.3m (ÂŁ86.3m) in the last 12 months, including $100m (ÂŁ81.2m) via endorsements, to move up four places and become the first player from his sport to top the list.
Football players Cristiano Ronaldo (ÂŁ85.3m), Messi (ÂŁ84.5m) and Neymar (ÂŁ77.6m) and American basketball player LeBron James (ÂŁ71.6m) rounded out the top five.
"The coronavirus pandemic triggered salary cuts for football stars Messi and Ronaldo, clearing the way for a tennis player to rank as the world's highest-paid athlete for the first time," said Kurt Badenhausen, senior editor at Forbes.
"Roger Federer is the perfect pitchman for companies, resulting in an unparalleled endorsement portfolio of blue-chip brands worth $100m a year for the tennis great."
Japan's Naomi Osaka (ÂŁ30.7m), who was ranked 29th on the list, surpassed fellow tennis player Serena Williams (ÂŁ29.5m) as the world's highest-earning female athlete.
Osaka and Williams were the only women on the list.
Basketball players led all sports with 35 players among the top 100. American football occupied 31 spots, none higher than six-times Super Bowl champion Tom Brady (ÂŁ36.5m) who was ranked 25th.
Football was the next most represented sport with 14 players, followed by tennis (six), boxing and mixed martial arts (five), golf (four), motor racing (three), and baseball and cricket with one each.
Source:Â https://www.forbes.com/athletes/
Roger Federer is the world's highest-paid athlete for 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic knocked footballer Lionel Messi off top spot, according to the annual Forbes list released on Friday.
The Swiss tennis great, owner of a men's record 20 Grand Slam singles titles, earned $106.3m (ÂŁ86.3m) in the last 12 months, including $100m (ÂŁ81.2m) via endorsements, to move up four places and become the first player from his sport to top the list.
Football players Cristiano Ronaldo (ÂŁ85.3m), Messi (ÂŁ84.5m) and Neymar (ÂŁ77.6m) and American basketball player LeBron James (ÂŁ71.6m) rounded out the top five.
"The coronavirus pandemic triggered salary cuts for football stars Messi and Ronaldo, clearing the way for a tennis player to rank as the world's highest-paid athlete for the first time," said Kurt Badenhausen, senior editor at Forbes.
"Roger Federer is the perfect pitchman for companies, resulting in an unparalleled endorsement portfolio of blue-chip brands worth $100m a year for the tennis great."
Japan's Naomi Osaka (ÂŁ30.7m), who was ranked 29th on the list, surpassed fellow tennis player Serena Williams (ÂŁ29.5m) as the world's highest-earning female athlete.
Osaka and Williams were the only women on the list.
Basketball players led all sports with 35 players among the top 100. American football occupied 31 spots, none higher than six-times Super Bowl champion Tom Brady (ÂŁ36.5m) who was ranked 25th.
Football was the next most represented sport with 14 players, followed by tennis (six), boxing and mixed martial arts (five), golf (four), motor racing (three), and baseball and cricket with one each.
Source:Â https://www.forbes.com/athletes/